types of academic jobs and who should apply · 2017. 7. 6. · types of academic jobs and who...
TRANSCRIPT
Types of academic jobs and who should apply
Rytas Vilgalys, Biology Dept., Duke University, Durham, NC
Where are the jobs?
• Academia: R1 universi1es, Medical Schools, Teaching colleges • Government research organiza1ons: USDA, DOE • Healthcare organiza1ons such as the NIH; Clinical laboratories • Industry – Agriculture, pharmaceu1cals, mushroom industry, food/beverage, biotechnology;
• environmental organiza1ons, NGOs (e.g., Sierra Club, WWF, ); • Secondary educa1on (high school)
Which job is right for you? • Research Scien,st (Industry; Government) • University or college professor -‐ Teaches in the classroom or laboratory, trains students, conducts research and performs community service (e.g., extension work)
• science administrator -‐ college or university dean or in other administra1ve posi1ons such as vice president or president.
• Research director/Corporate execu,ve -‐ company such as a biotechnology, pharmaceu1cal, agricultural or environmental firm.
• Consultant -‐ Advises and reports informa1on to organiza1ons such as businesses or government agencies.
• Science advisor or administrator -‐ Leads programs concerned with safety of new devices, food, drugs and chemicals and helps influence laws, regula1ons and research for government agencies.
Triage • ABD: Don’t even bother to apply for a posi1on unless you have a degree in hand. Finish wri1ng thesis, or at least set a date for your defense before sending in an applica1on
• Read the job ad: be sure that your stated areas of exper1se are same as those specified in the job adver1sement.
Preparing your application: dos and don’ts
• Web site: Simple, elegant and straigh[orward professional web site with your job materials and publica1ons. Post your job materials (research statement, teaching statement, CV) on your web site as soon as possible. Remove unfla^ering photos and anything which could iden1fy your views on poli1cs, religion, etc. Put a high-‐quality, professional-‐but-‐not-‐cheesy-‐looking photograph of yourself on your site. (Don't be surprised when this photo shows up on posters.)
• Personal le?er. Not that important, but you must include it. Keep it simple. Be sure to include subjects you are prepared to teach. Departments oben look to fill niches, including subjects that must be taught. Always list the requested areas first and your own favorites last.
• CV and research interests statement. Very important. Hundred of books on the subject, choose one. Have colleagues read it before you send it out.
• Recommenda,ons. Best recs are from people who the commi^ee knows and respects. If the recommender is willing to make a call, that’s gold. In second place are le^ers from people who are well-‐known in the field. Le%ers must be enthusias0c. There are only two types of le^ers : claims that the candidate is great, or that the candidate is ‘good’. Great means that you’re good. Good means that you’re probably not good.
dos and don’ts (cont) • Publica,ons. These are essen1al. This is the single most important correlate of job success. This is how you show that you mean business. Best are refereed ar1cles. Publishing in high impact journals is good, but society journals are also important. If you’re only one of many authors that will be no1ced and taken into account. If it’s to your advantage, list the percentage of your contribu1on. Non-‐peer reviewed chapters (e.g., book chapters) count, but not as much. Important to establish yourself as an independent scien1st able to direct and perform crea1ve research.
Prob
ability of job
No. of publica1ons
dos and don’ts (cont) • Teaching experience. The importance of this varies whether posi1on is at a research ins1tu1on or a ‘teaching’ college. For research universi1es, teaching is expected to be good but is not usually a basis for tenure. At teaching ins1tu1ons, teaching usually the most desirable skill. They have heavier course loads and the school explicitly rewards and values them for their pedagogical skills. If you’ve received posi1ve teaching evalua1ons as a TA or postdoc, include the results/ra1ngs in the applica1on at a research university (but don’t make a big deal about it).
• Research. S1ll the most important factor. Your research needs to fill a necessary niche in the department, so best to be broad in describing your area (not too narrow). Big departments may want variety and try to rerpesent all of the major areas. Smaller departments must select to be strong in three or four key areas. By examining the list of faculty you can see in which direc1on they’re going and prepare yourself accordingly.
• Grants. Just as important as publica1ons. You might not need to have a grant to get a job, but you will need to get a grant to keep your job. Start wri1ng proposals early, and oben. Small grants are just fine. Take a workshop and learn how to write a good proposal.
dos and dont’s (cont)
• Do your homework. You’ll usually only get one shot, you can never know what li^le detail or nuance will give you the edge over other applicants. Thoroughly research the department you’re most serious about contac1ng before you apply. Know what faculty members are doing, read what they’ve wri^en. Find other people who know the department; network as much as possible. Check out demographics. A place with a predominantly older faculty may give you a be^er shot at landing a permanent posi1on.
• Going aGer one job, or many? Some1mes a good prac1ce. You can always leverage a crappy job offer against the place that you’re really interested in.
Misc do’s and don’ts • The interview: "Your packet got you the interview. Your job talk gets you the job." Prac1ce your job talk; don’t go over 1me. Try and dress for the job, be casual aber you get the job.
• Do not contact the search commi?ee. This is especially difficult aber the interview. Resist tempta1on. Only contact them if you’re being considered elsewhere.
• Having “friends" in the department. This is a delicate issue. While it may seem advantageous to have someone champion your applica1on, this can also backfire if your insider is too pushy, or not that well respected by the department. Best to win the job on your own merits and avoid being seen as an ‘insider’.
• Final advice: “Don’t @#$% this up”.